Wrench.



C. S. MERRITT.

WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I6, IQIII.

1,199,806. r Patented Oct. 3,1916

ED STATES PATENT OFFICE}.

CHARLES S. MERRITT, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO ANDREW MCCALLUM AND ONE-THIRD TO JOHN 0NEIL,- BOTH OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

WRENCH.

Application filed May 16, 1916.

a citizen of the United States of America,

residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wrenches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a quick acting wrench, and the objects of my invention are, first, to provide a wrench having a novel adjusting mechanism that can be easily and quickly manipulated to permit of the adj ustable jaw of the wrench being shifted to a desired position upon the shank of the wrench; second, to provide a strong and durable wrench having the adjusting means thereof housed and partly concealed whereby the wrench may be roughly handled without any danger of the adjusting mechanism being injured; third, to provide a wrench of the above type that can be advantageously used as a nut or pipe wrench and particularly as a tool for an automobile or bicycle kit, and fourth, to provide an inexpensive wrench consisting of comparatively few parts that can be easily and quickly assembled.

The above and other objects are attained by a mechanical construction that will be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed, and reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a view of one side of the wrench; Fig. 2 is a similar view of the opposite side thereof, showing the shank partly broken away; Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view of the adjustable jaw of the. wrench; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a portion of the wrench showingthe adjustable jaw thereof in longitudinal section; Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a detached gripping member, and Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a portion of a wrench provided with pipe gripping jaws.

In the drawing, 1 denotes a comparatively fiat shank, preferably rectangular in cross section, and having the outer end thereof provided with a fixed jaw 2. The front side of the shank 1 has ratchet teeth 3 contiguous to the outer end of the shank, and the inner end of the shank constitutes a handle by which the wrench may be conveniently manipulated.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1916.

Serial No. 97,964.

Slidable upon the shank 1 is an adjustable jaw body 4 having a jaw 5 confronting the fixedjaw 2 of the shank 1, these jaws being designed for gripping the facets of the nut although said jaws may have the confronting faces thereof concave and serrated, as indicated at 6 in Fig. 6, whereby a wrench in accordance with my invention may be utilized forrotating pipes or structures having curvilinear surfaces. The adj ustable jaw body 4 has a longitudinal opening 7 to receive the shank 1 and one side of the body 4 has a transverse slot 8 communicatlng with a recess 9 in the body 4.

The slotted side of the body 4 is provided with an offset guide or boss 10 closing a portion of the slot 8 and slidable in the slot 8 and the guide 10 is a gripping member 11 provided with right angular disposed ends 12 and 13. The end 12 of the gripping member extends into the recess 9 of the body 4 and is toothed, as at 14, to engage the teeth 3 of the shank 1. In the recess 9 is a coiled compression spring 15 bearing against the end 12 of the gripping member and the expansive force of th1s spring holds the toothed end of said gripping member normally in engagementwith the teeth 3 of the shank 1, thereby holding the adjustable jaw body 4 against movement in one direction upon the shank, until the gripping member is shifted out of engagement with said shank.

The end 18 of the gripping member is disposed in parallelism with the back of the adjustable jaw body 4, and is preferably formed with a serrated concavity affording a fingeror thumb seat which permits of the.

gripping member 11 being easily shifted by the thumb or finger of a hand gripping the shank 1.

With the ratchet teeth 3 of the shank 1 disposed in the manner shown in Fig. 1 the adjustable jaw body 4 can be easily shifted toward the fixed jaw 2, as the toothed end 12 of the gripping member 11 recedes over the teeth. Should it be desired to move the adjustable jaw body away from the fixed jaw 2, it is only necessary to press inwardly upon the gripping member 11 to move the toothed end 12 thereof into the recess 9 and out of engagement with the toothed shank 1, at which time the adjustible jaw body can be shifted upon the shank. When the gripping member 11 is released, the spring 15 places the toothed end of the gripping member in engagement with the shank, thus preventing the adjustable jaw body from slipping while the wrench is being used.

WVith the gripping member 11 countersunk in the adjustable jaw body 4 and the upper and lower edge thereof guided by the walls of the slot 8, it is practically impossible for the gripping member to become accidentally displaced and the offset guide 10 on the siderof the adjustable jaw body retains the gripping member in the slot of the jaw'body and protects that end of the gripping member extending into the recess 9. The guide 10 is welded upon the side of the adjustable jaw body, and the gripping member is placed in position and with the parts assembled in this manner the adjustable jaw can be easily removed from the shank and easy access had to the recess 9.

l/Vhat I claim is:- r

In a wrench, the combination with a shank having a fixedjaw, of a jaw body slidable upon said shank and provided with a single'recess and a side slot, said slot extending from the back of said jaw body 1,199 sec jaw body to engage said shank, the opposite end of said gripping memberbeing in spaced relation to the back of said adjustable jaw body and providing a concave finger piece,-

and means in the single recess of said jaw body adapted to hold the toothed end of a said gripping member normally in engagement with said shank.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES S. MERRITT.

l/Vitnesses KARL H. BUTLER, ANNA M. Donn.

(lopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, I). C. 

